This was originally posted on the PPCGeeks.com forums, but they seem to be having hosting troubles lately, and I've received requests to repost this somewhere else, so here we go...
Check back on this thread every once in a while, as I'll be updating this post when I can with new information.
Setup
To use the Titan's internal GPS you must be running a ROM version of at least 3.16.651.0 with a radio ROM version of at least 3.27.00 (to find your ROM version go to the "Device Information" application found in Start->Settings->"System" tab).
Make sure that in the "External GPS" app (found in Start->Settings->"System" tab) matches the following settings:
Under the "Programs" tab, the "GPS program port:" is set to "COM4".
Under the "Hardware" tab, the "GPS hardware port:" is set to "None", and the "Baud rate:" is set to "4800".
Under the "Access" tab, the "Manage GPS automatically (recommended)" option is checked.
Make sure that your phone's location setting is set to "ON". You can do this by launching the "Phone" app (found in Start->Settings->"Personal" tab), then:
Under the "Services" tab, choose the "Location Setting" item in the listbox, and press the "Get Settings..." button.
Make sure the "Phone: Location Setting" is set to "ON"
OK everything, and soft reset your phone
My ROM version is older than the one listed as required above, where do I get the new ROM?
If your ROM versions are lower than the ones specified above, you have to load the new leaked test ROM first.
If you're on Sprint, and want the stock ROM, and you're running Windows XP, then look here:
http://forum.ppcgeeks.com/showthread.php?t=16806
If you're on Sprint, and want the stock ROM, and you're running Windows Vista, then look here:
http://forum.ppcgeeks.com/showthread.php?t=16886
If want dcd's custom Titan ROM, or if you're on Verizon, Alltel, or Telus, then look here:
http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=362566
NOTE: After the update some are experiencing loss of phone functions (dial in-out). To recover from this, before updating, make sure you record your MDN and MSID. First go to your dialer and dial ##MSL# (where MSL is your unique MSL code for your phone). The MSL unlock code is used for programming your phone yourself, and is unique for every phone. You can retrieve the MSL for your phone by using the GetSPC application. It's essentially a keygen that calculates what the MSL should be from the hexadecimal ESN (case-sensitive). You can get your hexadecimal ESN from several places including the back of your device if you remove the battery. You can download GetSPC from HERE. Otherwise you can call Sprint technical support, tell them you're a developer, and you need the MSL number for your phone. The MDN should be your phone number. Finally, go to your dialer again, and dial ##3282#, your MSL is the unlock code, then make sure you record the settings there. The important things are your username and AAA password (HA password should be 'secret').
Which GPS enabled applications work with the Titan's built-in GPS?
Pretty much any GPS application that supports the NMEA 0183 protocol (almost everything). You may have to set your GPS application to connect to COM 4 with a baud rate of 4800. I have personally successfully tested the internal GPS with the following software:
Sprint Navigation v1.0.21 (Telenav) (Video) (free 2 day trial, downloads maps from an active Internet connection, $10 a month, not included as part of SERO)
Google Maps Mobile (Video) (free, highly recommended, downloads map/navigation data from an active Internet connection)
Microsoft Live Search (Video) (free, highly recommended, downloads map/navigation from an active Internet connection)
iNav iGuidance 4 (Video) (My preferred program for USA navigation, has text to speech for street names, needs workaround to work with the internal GPS, see "known software issues and workarounds for GPS navigation software" FAQ section below).
TomTom 6.030 (Video) (My preferred program for European navigation)
iGO My way 2006 Plus (Video) (Has maps available for some areas that no other navigation software has, such as Egypt).
MGMaps (Video) (Free, Java based, see "known software issues and workarounds for GPS navigation software" FAQ section below)
Holux GPS Viewer (free, starts communication with GPS module, gives GPS satellite status)
Software that others have reported success with include:
Garmin Mobile XT (Video) (requires hacks, see "known software issues and workarounds for GPS navigation software" FAQ section below)
Mapopolis (no longer sold)
Route 66 Navigate 7 (Video of SmartPhone Version)
Pharos Ostia
How much will I be charged for using the GPS?
Accessing the GPS satellite data is completely free. However, some GPS applications (such as TomTom Navigator or Sprint Navigator) are commercial and are not free. Also, be aware that some applications (such as Google Maps Mobile and Sprint Navigator) get their mapping data on-line from the Internet. If you wish to use these "online" applications make sure your service plan includes an appropriate data option to prevent unwanted Internet access charges. All Sprint SERO plans automatically include unlimited data for no extra charge.
Why does my application never find (or find slowly) my built-in GPS?
It seems that the way the gpsOne chipset is implemented, through Microsoft's Intermediate GPS driver, requires it to be primed/started in way not all GPS applications support. Some people have been using Google Maps Mobile to prime the GPS so it can be used with another application, such as TomTom. I've found a much better way to prime the GPS application, using the freely available Holux GPS Viewer v1.5, which you can get HERE. Once you run the application, make sure, under the Setup tab, that the Com Port: is set to COM4:, then just press the "Open GPS" button. You should start recieving a scrolling list of NMEA protocol messages in the listbox below.
You can check the satellite status by going to the "GPS Status" tab. For an accurate fix you must have a signal to at least 4 satellites (at least 4 blue bars).
Once you have a lock you can start the application you wish to use the GPS with, such as TomTom. Once your application is working with the GPS you can exit the GPS Viewer application if you wish. The GPS may stop working if the GPS Viewer application isn't running, and your device goes into standby mode. You can leave GPS Viewer running the background, so that the GPS restarts on wakeup, but this sucks up around 5% CPU power and uses about 1MB of program memory. Hopefully someone can find/program an application that runs as a service in the background taking minimal CPU power that does the same thing that GPS Viewer does (GPSGate does not work).
I was a little annoyed that I had to reselect COM4: every time I started GPS Viewer, so I created a hacked version that preselects COM4 for you, which you can get HERE.
UPDATE 1 ( 1-27-08 ) - Baffles and tekmaven are working on a background service which will keep the GPS running on demand. It should have support for either keeping it going all the time, when you tell it to, or by detecting when GPS-using apps are running.
UPDATE 2 ( 1-27-08 ) - Some have also reported having good luck with VisualGPSce, which uses around 320KB program memory, and around 15% of the CPU when running in the background.
UPDATE 3 ( 1-27-08 ) - Baffles has just released BAF's GPS Launcher v0.1-test. Mirror HERE (post by yacko). The launcher, will set up/connect to the internal GPS, then launch a specified GPS app (TomTom,iGo, etc.). It's pretty basic in functionality, but it gets the job done for now. The next revision of this will end up being a background service on the phone that automatically enables GPS as needed, but for now, this is a better solution than running Google Maps Mobile/Holux GPS Viewer/etc in the background.
UPDATE 4 ( 1-29-08 ) - Shadowmite has just released GPS Launcher. It's a universal GPS proxy launcher. It works in a similar manner to Baf's launcher, but it's written in native code so it should run a lot faster, and take up less memory.
UPDATE 5 ( 1-30-08 ) - AstronusX has just released AstroGPSLauncher. As with the above launchers it opens the GPS port and launches your specified GPS application. It will close itself when you close the GPS application. It's also written in native code, the program is only 10k and uses a minuscule 2k of RAM. Since it keeps running in background until you exit your GPS software will allow your GPS software to reacquire the GPS signal when your Titan comes back from standby (power button) mode.
How can I keep my GPS alive in the background?
I have found no way of keeping the GPS alive while in standby mode. So your best bet, if you want the GPS always running, is to make sure you don't turn off the Titan (which puts it into standby mode). Instead, just turn off turn off the display back light (to maximize battery power). To keep the GPS alive, run the Holux GPS viewer, or better yet just use the AstroGPSLauncher (referenced above). These programs, while running, restart GPS communication when the phone comes back from standby mode. Be careful though, this can be a big battery drain if you're in a weak GPS signal area.
It takes too long to get an initial lock on the GPS satellites (cold boot), is there a way to make it faster?
Our HTC cousin, the Kaiser/Tilt/TyTn II, also with a gpsOne based GPS, included an application called QuickGPS. QuickGPS downloads current orbital satellite locations from the Internet, helping the GPS get its initial (cold) lock faster. It requires an Internet connection to download the orbital data, it does not initiate an Internet Connection for you (so you may have to connect to the Internet yourself first).
You can get QuickGPS (ripped from the Kaiser ROM) : HERE. Make sure you install this into main memory.
After tapping the Download button in QuickGPS, the status bar would reach 100%, and then gave me a "Connection failed" error. It seems the ephemeris orbital data (xtra.bin) is downloaded to the "\Temp" folder, but never copied to the "\Windows" folder. I was able to fix this by, first making sure my QuickGPS registry settings matched the settings shown HERE, and hacking the QuickGPS.exe as described HERE
I have included a patched version of QuickGPS, along with a Resco Regedit export of my QuickGPS registry settings for download HERE (copy the "QuickGPS.exe" into your mobile device's "\Windows" folder).
I have no idea if QuickGPS actually helps/works, since I haven't really had to opportunity to test it yet.
I've tried everything in this FAQ, but can't get the GPS to respond, what else can I try?
Some things that others have had tried that they claimed helped include:
Toggling your phone's location setting is set to "OFF", OKing it, and toggling it back "ON".
As with any GPS unit, you the clearer view of the sky you have, the more likely you'll catch a GPS signal. Also, if you're moving often (such as driving a Car) the GPS will have a harder time getting an initial lock. Ideally try standing outside 5-20 minutes with a program that can start the GPS running, such as "Holux GPS Viewer", and see if that helps.
Hard reseting.
How can I find GPS radio status information?
In your dialer (Green handset button), dial the Debug code ##33284# (this just runs "\Windows\FieldTrial.exe").
In the application that opens, press the "Debug Info" button (left Soft-Key). In the menu that pops up, choose "GPS".
What kind of GPS device is inside the Titan?
The chipset the Titan uses is the Qualcomm MSM7500. As part of this chipset there's an embedded gpsOne GPS module.
The gpsOne can operate in 4 modes:
Standalone - Your handset has no connection to the network, and uses only the GPS satellite signals it can currently receive to try and establish a location.
MS Based - Your handset is connected to the network, and uses the GPS signals + a location signal from the network.
MS Assisted - Your handset is connected to the network, uses GPS signals + a location signal then relays its 'fix' to the server, which then uses the signal strength from your phone to the network towers to further plot your position. You can still maintain voice communication in this scenario, but not 'Internet/Network service' ie Web Browser, IM, streaming TV etc..
MS Assisted/Hybrid - Same as above, but network functionality remains. Normally only in areas with exceptional coverage.
I'm guessing (not verified) that ours runs in "Standalone" mode since the GPS stays on and keeps getting data if the phone is off (to turn off just the phone part of the Mogul, go to the Today Screen, hold down the red hang-up button for 3-4 seconds, and then let go).
When is the GPS active, how do I turn it off?
The GPS isn't active once you exit all applications that may be accessing it. Trying putting your Titan into standby (press the power button), wait 20 seconds, and turn it back on. If the GPS is still active then that means you most likely have some program running in the background keeping the GPS alive.
To disable the GPS, set your phone's location setting to "OFF". You can do this by launching the "Phone" app (found in Start->Settings->"Personal" tab), then:
Under the "Services" tab, choose the "Location Setting" item in the listbox, and press the "Get Settings..." button.
Make sure the "Phone: Location Setting" is set to "OFF"
OK everything, and soft reset your phone
How do I enable GPS Camera Mode?
Our HTC cousin the Tilt/Kaiser/TyTn II has a feature that lets you populate a camera phone's photo EXIF data with GPS location information. It looks like the Titan has registry entries concerning this feature, but no one has been able to make it work yet. Information on an attempt to enable this feature can be found HERE.
Can I use the internal GPS on my Titan as Bluetooth or USB GPS device for use with my PC?
Yes. though I haven't tested this myself, you should be able to do this through the free application GPS2Blue. To use your GPS via USB cable, check out the section titled "How to use with TCP/IP over USB?".
A commercial alternative to GPS2Blue is Franson GpsGate.
Observations:
The GPS turns off when the mobile device goes into standby mode (would be nice if there was a way to keep the GPS alive even in standby mode).
If you put the Titan into standby (power off) while it's attempting to initialize the GPS the system will respond very slowly. It will take a long time to turn back on, and may even appear hard locked. Once the GPS is initialized the system responds normally again. This behavior can also be seen if your terminate an application while it's attempting to initialize the GPS.
What's the best GPS navigation software?
This is one of the most often, and trickiest question to answer. It's tricky because the feature-set and selection of available navigation software changes quickly, and some of what's considered "best" is based on opinion. One person may consider a certain feature crucial, while another wouldn't care about it at all. There are tons of articles, forum posts, and reviews you can find on-line comparing navigation software. I will try to do a quick and dirty rundown of available software. To read discussions concerning Windows Mobile navigation software I recommend visiting the GpsPasSion forums (specifically the PDA Navigation subforum. To see what a particular piece of navigation software looks like when running, I recommend visiting YouTube.
Also be sure to read the "software notes" FAQ below for any gotchyas concerning software you may be considering.
Some feature terms to learn:
Voice Navigation = The software will direct you with voice prompts (eg. "in 500 yards turn left")
Text-To-Speech for road names = The software will direct you with voice prompts that include road name (eg. "in 500 yards turn left at Main street")
Offline Navigation = You don't need an active data (Internet) connection to get map/navigation data.
Online Navigation = You need an active data (Internet) connection to get map/navigation data. Map data is typically stored on your storage (SD) card. For instance iGuidance requires 1.3GB for its North American mapping data, and TomTom request 896MB for its North American mapping data. iGo has state by state maps available, which are smaller in size (California is about 140MB).
The software that is:
Most popular for US/Canadian areas:
iGuidance (no current European maps), TomTom
Most popular for European (and other countries) areas:
TomTom and iGO
Free (currently no free navigation software supports voice navigation, and all are online):
Google Maps Mobile and Microsoft Live Search
Online:
Google Maps Mobile, Microsoft Live Search, Sprint Navigation
Offline (All support voice navigation):
iGuidance, TomTom, iGO, Garmin Mobile XT, Route 66, Destinator. Mapopolis
Supports Text-To-Speech for road names:
iGuidance, Mapopolis, and Sprint Navigation
What are the known issues and workarounds for GPS navigation software?
TomTom Navigator:
Requires software such as "Holux GPS Viewer" to start the GPS.
Set the GPS to "Other NMEA GPS receiver", with a "GPS baud rate" of 4800, and set to "COM4:".
Requires 896MB of storage space for North American mapping data.
When starting TomTom, the sound is muted, and you have to choose the "Change preferences"->"Turn on sound" menu item twice to turn the sound on. This is a known behavior for TomTom if you start the application with an active data connection. If you start TomTom without an active data connection the sound will start out muted.
iNav iGuidance:
Requires software such as "Holux GPS Viewer" to start the GPS.
Requires 1.3GB of storage space for North American mapping data.
GPS seems to be detected (icon turns green), but will rarely refresh the screen with updated location data. This issue is discussed HERE, HERE, and in this thread. I remember having problems with iGuidance before, when targeting it to the Microsoft GPS redirector port with my Bluetooth GPS. I had to point iGuidance directly to the Bluetooth COM port. This seems to be a problem with iNav's inability to work properly with the Microsoft GPS redirector driver. Customers should shoot off an email to INav, so that hopefully they can fix this issue.
A workaround is to install a different redirector, such as Franson GpsGate. Once installed GpsGate installs a tray icon in your Today screen (red or green icon in lower right hand corner of the Today screen).
Tap the tray icon, and choose the "Settings" menu item.
On the "Input" tab set it to "COM4".
On the "Output" tab, choose "Virtual COM Port" under the "Add output" section, and press the "Add" button.
Set the "Virtual port" to an available COM port, such as "COM2".
Press the "OK" button.
On the "Input" tab press the "Open" button.
In iGuidance:
Go to the "Tools" menu, and choose the "GPS Options" submenu, then choose the "COM Port" submenu item. Set it to the same port you used for your "Virtual Port" (COM2 in the example above).
Go to the "Tools" menu, and choose the "GPS Options" submenu, then choose the "Baud Rate" submenu item. Set it to "4800".
A freeware alternative to GpsGate, named GPSProxy, is available HERE. (untested)
I created an iGuidance one tap autolauncher. If GpsGate is not running, it starts it. The script then stores your device's current power timeout, and backlight timeout and brightness settings. Then sets your device for no timeouts for power and backlight, and sets your backlight to maximum brightness. It then sets iGuidance to skip the startup warning dialog, before launching iGuidance through AstroGPSLauncher. Once you exit iGuidance the script will restore your previous backlight/power settings. The only thing not working in the script right now is that it doesn't terminate GpsGate on exit if the script started GpsGate. I have not found a reliable way to close GpsGate. All current methods I've tried of closing/terminating GpsGate leave an unresponsive icon in the tray of the Today screen.
For those who are interested, I've made a copy of this script available for download HERE. Instructions on how to install/use the script are in the included "iGuidanceInternalGPSLauncher.mscr" Mortscript file.
Garmin Mobile XT:
The current version of Mobile XT is tied to the Bluetooth GPS they sell it with. At the recent CES show a rep from Garmin indicated that they will soon be selling a new version that can be used with any GPS device. Until then, our Kaiser/Tilt cousins have created some hacks that make Mobile XT work their internal GPS, that should also work on the Titan. Information on this is HERE.
iGO:
Also sold under the Navigon MobileNavigator and MioMap names.
Mapopolis:
No longer sold
Sprint Navigation
Included as part of the extended ROM installation after a hard reset. If you skipped the extended ROM installation, or are running a custom ROM, you can find the CAB install HERE.
Costs $9.99 a month or $2.99 a day. Includes a free 2-day trial.
Not included with SERO plans (part of the "Sprint Power Vision Navigation Pack" and "Sprint Power Vision Ultimate Pack").
More info HERE.
Route 66 Navigate 7:
Requires software such as "Holux GPS Viewer" to start the GPS.
MGMaps:
Java Based, works with included Java Midlet Manager (Jeodek). Does not work with JBed (doesn't support serial communication).
Get the generic full version, Sprint version doesn't work.
What are the GPS related registry entries and their default values?
These are all the registry settings I could find relating to the GPS and their default values. This is from a virgin Sprint v3.16.651.0, with extended ROM apps skipped, and only Resco Explorer/Regedit installed.
Code:
[HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\HTC\SUPL AGPS]
"EnableGPSSmartMode"=dword:00000001
"ServerPort"=dword:00001E6C
"ServerIP"="195.207.101.126"
"QosPerformance"=dword:00000059
"QoSAccuracy"=dword:00000032
"TimeBetweenFixes"=dword:00000001
"NumberFixes"=dword:3B9AC9FF
"GPSMode"=dword:00000002
"EnableAGPS"=dword:00000001
Code:
[HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\OEM\PhoneSetting\LocationSetting]
"ServiceDescExt"="but will not hide your general location based on the cell site serving your call. No application or service may use your location without your request or permission. GPS enhanced 911 is not available in all areas."
"ServiceDesc"="Turning location on will allow the network to detect your position using GPS technology, making some Sprint PCS applications and services easier to use. Turning location off will disable the GPS location function for all purposes except 911,"
"ItemMessageDesc2"=""
"ItemValue2"=dword:00000003
"ItemName2"="OFF"
"ItemMessageDesc1"=""
"ItemValue1"=dword:00000000
"ItemName1"="ON"
"ItemCount"=dword:00000002
"ServiceTitle"="Phone: Location Setting"
"ServiceName"="Location Setting"
Code:
[HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\HTC\Camera\General]
"MaximalGPSInitialTime"=dword:00000708
"PositionMaximalAge"=dword:00000002
"MeteringMode"=dword:00000000
Code:
[HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\HTC\Camera\Image]
"GpsSaveFolder_0409"="My POI"
"GpsPrefixString"="GPS"
Code:
[HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\Services\GPSDaemonService]
"Index"=dword:00000001
"Prefix"="GPC"
"Keep"=dword:00000001
"Order"=dword:00000009
"Description"="Services PPP events on behalf of GPS"
"DisplayName"="GPS Daemon Service"
"Dll"="GpsDaemonService.dll"
Code:
[HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\System\CurrentControlSet\GPS Intermediate Driver]
"OldLogFile"="\\windows\\GPSLogFileBack.txt"
"CurrentLogFile"="\\windows\\GPSLogFile.txt"
"IsEnabled"=dword:00000001
[HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\System\CurrentControlSet\GPS Intermediate Driver\Multiplexer]
"DriverInterface"="COM4:"
[HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\System\CurrentControlSet\GPS Intermediate Driver\Multiplexer\ActiveDevice]
"Index"=dword:00000004
"Prefix"="COM"
"Dll"="GPSID_QCT.dll"
"Context"=dword:12344160
"Flags"=dword:00000002
"Keep"=dword:00000001
[HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\System\CurrentControlSet\GPS Intermediate Driver\Drivers]
"SleepOnNoData"=dword:000003E8
"RetryWaitOnError"=dword:00000003
"OutputBufferSize"=dword:00001000
"InputBufferSize"=dword:00001000
"CurrentDriver"="GPSOneDevice"
[HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\System\CurrentControlSet\GPS Intermediate Driver\Drivers\GPSOneDevice]
"Version"=dword:00000001
"PollInterval"=dword:000001F4
"DriverName"="TAI"
"FriendlyName"="QualComm GpsOne Card, version 0.0"
"InterfaceType"="POLL"
[HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\System\CurrentControlSet\GPS Intermediate Driver\Drivers\GPSOneEmulate]
"Filex"="\\windows\\GPSOneFileSimulation.txt"
"FriendlyName"="QualComm GpsOne File, version 0.0"
"InterfaceType"="File"
[HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\System\CurrentControlSet\GPS Intermediate Driver\Drivers\GPSOnePort]
"CommPort"="COM1:"
"FriendlyName"="QualComm GpsOne Card, version 0.0"
"InterfaceType"="COMM"
Code:
[HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\System\CurrentControlSet\GPS Intermediate Driver\Multiplexer]
"DriverInterface"="COM4:"
[HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\System\CurrentControlSet\GPS Intermediate Driver\Multiplexer\ActiveDevice]
"Index"=dword:00000004
"Prefix"="COM"
"Dll"="GPSID_QCT.dll"
"Context"=dword:12344160
"Flags"=dword:00000002
"Keep"=dword:00000001
Code:
[HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\Drivers\Active\36]
"Hnd"=dword:0005AFF0
"Name"="GPS1:"
"Key"="Drivers\\BuiltIn\\VirtCOM_GPS1"
"BusParent"=dword:000322E0
"InterfaceType"=dword:00000000
"BusName"="BuiltInPhase1_0_8_0"
Code:
[HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\Drivers\Active\59]
"Hnd"=dword:00AFBAB0
"Name"="GPD0:"
"Key"="Drivers\\BuiltIn\\GPSID"
"BusParent"=dword:000322E0
"InterfaceType"=dword:00000000
"BusName"="BuiltInPhase1_0_53_0"
Code:
[HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\Drivers\Active\60]
"Hnd"=dword:00AFCB60
"Name"="COM4:"
"Key"="SYSTEM\\CurrentControlSet\\GPS Intermediate Driver\\Multiplexer\\ActiveDevice"
Code:
[HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\Drivers\BuiltIn\GPSID]
"IClass"="{A32942B7-920C-486b-B0E6-92A702A99B35}"
"Dll"="GPSID_QCT.dll"
"Flags"=dword:00000002
"Context"=dword:00000000
"Index"=dword:00000000
"Prefix"="GPD"
"Keep"=dword:00000001
"Order"=dword:00000010
Code:
[HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\Drivers\BuiltIn\VirtCOM_GPS1]
"DevConfig"=hex:20,00,00,00,05,00,00,00,10,01,00,00,00,4B,00,00,00,00,08,00,00,00,00,\
00,00
"FriendlyName"="Virtual GPS1"
"DeviceType"=dword:00000000
"Order"=dword:00000003
"DeviceArrayIndex"=dword:00000000
"Index"=dword:00000001
"Prefix"="GPS"
"Dll"="VIRSER_GPS.dll"
Other reading:
Jake's GPS 101 Tutorial on Aximsite
Detailed article on AGPS
Wikipedia Article on AGPS
Wikipedia Article on gpsOne chipset
General GPS Info
How Quick GPS Works
More info on how Quick GPS Works
Other Apps:
MMeteo (AccuWeather.com + Wetter.com in HTC today and GPS Ephemeris synchronization (same as QuickGPS), haven't tried it)
VisualGPSce (does what GPSViewer does, only 320KB running program memory, around 15% CPU usage when running minimized)
Globalsat GPSInfo (does what GPSViewer does, haven't tried it)
HTCGPSTool.exe (preproduction tool, download link at the bottom, doesn't work too well, but might be of interest to some).
Credits:
duttythroy for providing the QuickGPS cab from the Kaiser.
McHale for his QuickGPS registry discoveries.
Ruptor for his QuickGPS.exe hack.
vetvito for his rip of 3.16.651.0's EXtROM (included CAB install for Sprint Navigation).
Baffles for BAF's GPS Launcher
Shadowmite for his GPS Launcher
AstronusX for AstroGPSLauncher
Reserved for future use 4.
Great post. Thanks.
wow seems very useful. is i guidance free? or is it possible to hack?
idenkilla said:
wow seems very useful. is i guidance free? or is it possible to hack?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
IGuidance is commercial software. It doesn't require an active Internet connection because all the map data is stored locally on your SD Card. Version 4 is about $100, and requires you to have 1.3GB free on a storage card to fit the US map it comes with (version 3 came with state maps, but version 4 only comes with one big "USA" map). Every piece of software I've listed links to either a download location or a information page describing the software. Check out youtube if you want to see what a particular piece of software looks like when running.
thanks very useful info!
Do you know how to enable AGPS on this device? I'd like to be able to get GPS signal from cellular triangulation so I can use location services indoors.
I go into debug mode, and under GPS, everything is NA. Is this mean my mogul don't have a chip inside?
I launched GPS from Google maps, and it stuck in the "Seeking GPS satellites" screen. A blue screen with no maps.
Any help?
I've noticed some people saying they're having trouble with their gps, when really it isn't the gps giving them a problem. After a lot of testing, I've found that if you do not have an active EVDO data connection, the gps will not function correctly with google maps or live search. This is not because the gps is malfunctioning, it's because the program can't connect to load the maps...and this will make it seem like the GPS is not working. My recommendation is, don't give up on your gps unless you know you have a solid data connection when you try it (it also helps to have a clear line of the sky, though not required). That is, unless you use software that doesn't require an internet connection.
I'd like to point out that the wonderful app Mapopolis (which unfortunately is no longer being supported) works wonderfully with the built in GPS, reads street names (like iguidance), can be loaded by county instead of one big "US" map, and apparently does NOT need to be primed/inited!!
That last part came as a surprise to me since the software predates google maps and many of the later editions of Tom Tom, etc.
I happen to have acquired a license for all of their US maps a few years ago (before there were even so many options) and it continues to surprise me as far as just how well it works!
I'd like to point out that the wonderful app Mapopolis (which unfortunately is no longer being supported) works wonderfully with the built in GPS, reads street names (like iguidance), can be loaded by county instead of one big "US" map, and apparently does NOT need to be primed/inited!!
That last part came as a surprise to me since the software predates google maps and many of the later editions of Tom Tom, etc.
I happen to have acquired a license for all of their US maps a few years ago (before there were even so many options) and it continues to surprise me as far as just how well it works!
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Is this a single license that only works on one device....or can it be used on multiple devices
Hiking/Geocaching SW?
I have Nav in both of my cars, so I'm not that needy for street-type navigation software. On the other hand, I use a Magellan explorist 400 for hiking and so forth. Any recommendations for PPC nav software that can replace this device now that GPS is activated?
Trouble in GPS Paradise with iNavigator
I have iGuidance and have been using it with an external BlueTooth GPS receiver. Have been blown away with how iGuidance performed and did with a signal that was sent from this external source. Keeps up well when traveling at any speed.
That being said. I am having an HORRIBLE time with iGuidance performance with the internal GPS at Com4 that is in this new ROM. It sticks for extended periods of time (4, 5, 6, infinity minutes) and therefore ends up being useless for navigation. I've played with the Baud rate settings and what is running in the background, i.e. googlemaps, or GPSViewer, or Live, and nothing gets IGuidance to perform even remotely close to the way it does with my external receiver.
I feel I'm pretty experienced with the GPS concept on the Mogul and really don't understand first of all why my external Baud rate is at 38,400 and this internal is at 4800?
In watching GPSViewer while traveling (that's right... stay off the road if I'm on it) it shows that the Lat and Long are updating continuously so it isn't that the GPS system isn't getting the signal... there's just some kind of problem that I'm having with getting the signal from there to iNav.
Any ideas would be helpful. I start out prior to cranking up INav with ~15MB of program memory and iNav is somewhat of a Program memory hog. It states that you should have ~20MB but then again... it works fine when I'm getting the signal from the external receiver so I still don't see this as the actual problem.
Anyone else have a chance in the last 4 days to really test the GPS on the road... as opposed to just getting excited about standing in the snow and getting GPS.
It's all good that we've got this faster (Rev A is off the hook with speed for me here in Atlanta) machine with GPS but if my only option is to throw $10 a month at Sprint them I'm going to just end up using my external to get my GPS signal.... Really silly if it is built in...
Hope you're reading this Sprint! ;-P
Anyone else have a chance in the last 4 days to really test the GPS on the road... as opposed to just getting excited about standing in the snow and getting GPS.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I've successfully tested the GPS both on the road AND on foot walking around the city lol. I am able to get between 7 and 8 satellites successfully and it's accurate to within 5-10 feet. I'm not sure about your problems with iGuidance as I've never used the software, but with both Google Maps and Live Search, it performs very well and accurate (on the road). lol
Yup! No problem with Google Maps and Live Search. They keep up as well while on the road. The only problem is they really aren't designed like TRUE GPS software... They don't prompt turns, they don't reroute if you get off route, not in 3D view, etc.
Wish GoogleMaps had an upgrade to it that made it TRUE GPS software. I'd pay $100 for it!
It's just somewhat bizarre to me that Sprint created their own Nav software, that has to download maps on the fly (as GM and LS do) and that it keeps up with the location no problem (I tried Sprint's Nav software over the weekend), BUT, iNav that has all of the Maps right there on the SD card can't keep up... Maybe it's iNav's problem and I'll contact them about it but then again... maybe it's a conspiracy by Sprint to get $9.95 out of us every month to use their software by making other software packages have problems! HEHE. Just kidding... Sortof...
I'll be updating the FAQ later today with software notes.
Concerning IGuidance, I haven't tested it on the road yet. I Just tested to see if it recognized the internal GPS. I remember having problems with IGudiance before when targeting it to the Microsoft GPS redirector when using my Bluetooth GPS. I had to point IGuidance directly to it. This seems to be a problem with INav inability to work properly with the Microsoft GPS redirector driver. Customers should shoot off an email to INav, so hopefully they can fix this issue. One thing to try (I haven't yet), is to install different redirector such as Franson GPSGate and point the source port at com4, and create a target virtual COM port at COM8 or COM9, then point IGuidance at the virtual port, and see if that works better with IGuidance.
Related
Hi all.
To get to the point, my Hero picks up the wrong current location for all applications, including the weather, homescreen clock (when set to current location) and even Hoccer when set to use my mobile network. When it is set to use WiFi, there is no issue, but when it is set to use the Mobile Network, then it seems to believe that it is in Dubai. I am in South Africa at the moment, and more specifically, Cape Town. Obviously using WiFi, I get the location right down to my suburb.
This leads me to believe that obviously the local tower that my phone uses in the area is a reference to another location on the location servers. Now, I have two questions:
1) Does anybody perhaps know a way to solve this?
2) If there is no direct solution, is there a way to either A) manipulating the phone into reassigning the correct location number if it is getting signal from the tower that puts it in Dubai. In other words, IF tower ID is 452(Tower that gives out Dubai), then SET tower ID to 123(Another tower in the area). B) Is there perhaps a way to loge a fault for whoever controls the location servers to perhaps fix this issue?
Thank you for your help!
Padie
What rom are you using?
Just set your location maybe? Instead of using the auto detect
Same problem
Hmmm, it seems I was hit by same problem using MrBang ROM (http://forum.xda-developers.com/showpost.php?p=5767289&postcount=347)
I have discovered that it is actually ROM independent. I have tried Modaco, CKDroid, KaguDroid, and MrBang. All the ROM's have given me the same issue.
I do set my location for weather etc, but I cannot set my location for programs that use the phone's current location, such as Hoccer. If I use my GPS, then it will chew battery, and take too long to acquire the location.
it might be that your network is not programmed to give out a location
Edit: have you actually turned the location enabler thing on in the settings?
I have the "Use wireless networks" feature on to detect my location, but I have kept the "Enable GPS sattelites" option off for now, because it wastes battery and takes too long to aquire locations.
MrPadie said:
but I have kept the "Enable GPS sattelites" option off for now, because it wastes battery and takes too long to aquire locations.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Are you sure? I have mine on all the time. It is only actually used when a programme asks for it. Battery usage is OK with me, considering it is a feature full smartphone (so it is never going to be as good as a dumb phone).
And mine locks onto locations very quickly - ussually a few seconds. MUCH quicker than my old WM Touch Diamond
Hi all im trying to use my GPS on navigation and it doesnt seem to be working one bit i even downloaded a gps app and that wasnt picking it up also any idea's what's wrong?
TipTopFlipFlop said:
Hi all im trying to use my GPS on navigation and it doesnt seem to be working one bit i even downloaded a gps app and that wasnt picking it up also any idea's what's wrong?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
EDIT: the only real GPS dead zones are underground and on a very rare occurence when your time and date aren't synchronized with that of the GPS sattelite. Other then that, have you tried to enable GPS in settings (would be weird if it was disabled by default). It also matters if you have a data connection when using some apps (I have never gotten google maps to show me where I am when I have no data).
Hope some of this is useful to you
Dyskmaster said:
EDIT: the only real GPS dead zones are underground and on a very rare occurence when your time and date aren't synchronized with that of the GPS sattelite. Other then that, have you tried to enable GPS in settings (would be weird if it was disabled by default). It also matters if you have a data connection when using some apps (I have never gotten google maps to show me where I am when I have no data).
Hope some of this is useful to you
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Thank's for the reply the GPS is enabled still no luck,you cant get data on the Galaxy Player anyway i think.
Other people must be having this problem too the thread has had about 200 view's does anyone know anything about this problem?
TipTopFlipFlop said:
Thank's for the reply the GPS is enabled still no luck,you cant get data on the Galaxy Player anyway i think.
Other people must be having this problem too the thread has had about 200 view's does anyone know anything about this problem?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
By data connection he means a wifi connection.
GPS uses data always. So it needs a data stream to get and use location services and maps.
On a phone it uses cellular or wifi but on an ipod style device or the galaxy player it needs wifi.
Without wifi it will never work unless your gps config files are modified; which is something i learned when trying to get the Acer Iconia GPS to work. And even then its probably not going to work.
Turn on wifi. I bet it works.
You now may be thinking "then what good is gps when i do not have a data connection!!?" - and my answer is exactly!!!
Gps on these devices is a gimmick and really only works when wifi is available.
True gps like a tom tom device doesnt need a wifi connection because it uses the gps link iyself for the limited data it needs plus the maps are built in.
On the galaxy player and phones the maps are downloaded at needed because they are hundreds of megs .
v_lestat said:
{snip}
True gps like a tom tom device doesnt need a wifi connection because it uses the gps link iyself for the limited data it needs plus the maps are built in.
On the galaxy player and phones the maps are downloaded at needed because they are hundreds of megs .
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
The Galaxy Player works fine as a standalone GPS without need of a wifi connection if you have the right kind of app. I use Sygic but there are several others. You download maps from Sygic to your player so they are available on your device. Works fine on my 5" Galaxy Player. Also there are apps like speedometers which use the GPS and work fine without a wifi connection.
I use Sygic. And also use pre recorded areas in Google Maps when I need it. No need to WI-FI, etc..
It is a good GPS 5 ".
In fact, very good.
Until now no problems experienced with GPS. If you do not connect may be related to your area.
v_lestat said:
By data connection he means a wifi connection.
GPS uses data always. So it needs a data stream to get and use location services and maps.
On a phone it uses cellular or wifi but on an ipod style device or the galaxy player it needs wifi.
Without wifi it will never work unless your gps config files are modified; which is something i learned when trying to get the Acer Iconia GPS to work. And even then its probably not going to work.
Turn on wifi. I bet it works.
You now may be thinking "then what good is gps when i do not have a data connection!!?" - and my answer is exactly!!!
Gps on these devices is a gimmick and really only works when wifi is available.
True gps like a tom tom device doesnt need a wifi connection because it uses the gps link iyself for the limited data it needs plus the maps are built in.
On the galaxy player and phones the maps are downloaded at needed because they are hundreds of megs .
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
The GPS technology works perfectly fine without data connection. To speed up the first fix, aGPS was developped and uses a data connection when available, but data connection is not mandatory. It's what is used in most if not all smartphones (search for "assisted gps" in wikipedia).
Data connection are required by some navigation software because they need to download the maps or for some obscure reasons. It's the case with google navigation for example.
But you can use a software that doesn't require data connection and store all its map on the device and only uses the GPS signal to do the fix, as gotok pointed out correctly. An android device with a good navigation software is no different than what you call a "true gps like tomtom".
I think you just don't make the difference between GPS (the technology) and navigation software.
I agree that the samsung S wifi's GPS capabilities are not very useful "out of the box" with the limitations of google navigation, but it can work perfectly fine with a good software. Don't blame this device (or any other one) for the shortcomings of google navigation and some other software.
MervinMinky said:
I agree that the samsung S wifi's GPS capabilities are not very useful "out of the box" with the limitations of google navigation, but it can work perfectly fine with a good software. Don't blame this device (or any other one) for the shortcomings of google navigation and some other software.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
The software is definitely an issue. The SGP i got for christmas couldn't utilize its GPS at all. Regardless of what app tried to use GPS location services, i always got a location error (E.G. Location unavailable at this time.) After doing a little searching, i found that someone had an app that fixed a similar problem. I downloaded "GPS Status & Toolbox" and let it run. Its primary use is a compass and getting information about location, but after i opened it and let it download GPS configuration information, everything worked perfectly. Maps showed where i was, Facebook gave me nearby locations and so on.
Dont know if everyone figured this out already or not, but after reading over most of the thread, i didn't see a definitive solution. Just thought I'd share what i had found.
MervinMinky said:
The GPS technology works perfectly fine without data connection. To speed up the first fix, aGPS was developped and uses a data connection when available, but data connection is not mandatory. It's what is used in most if not all smartphones (search for "assisted gps" in wikipedia).
Data connection are required by some navigation software because they need to download the maps or for some obscure reasons. It's the case with google navigation for example.
But you can use a software that doesn't require data connection and store all its map on the device and only uses the GPS signal to do the fix, as gotok pointed out correctly. An android device with a good navigation software is no different than what you call a "true gps like tomtom".
I think you just don't make the difference between GPS (the technology) and navigation software.
I agree that the samsung S wifi's GPS capabilities are not very useful "out of the box" with the limitations of google navigation, but it can work perfectly fine with a good software. Don't blame this device (or any other one) for the shortcomings of google navigation and some other software.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Data connection is never "mandatory" but with some GPS chipsets, it effectively is.
Some chipsets are so crippled they are almost never able to get a lock without assistance.
See the original GalaxyS phones as one example.
The Infuse is improved but not much better.
The Galaxy S II is VERY good at standalone operation.
Galaxy Players - ???, no clue
The GPS works fine, without wifi, on the Galaxy Player 5.0. To test it, get GPS Test (free). Of all the devices I have ever had with GPS (including Nokia phones, LG Android and HTC phones, Garmin) the GPS is the fastest I have experienced. Locks indoors and on moving trains very fast.
I use CoPilot mapping and navigation program and it works great.
I use "Mapdroid" (Free) and "Navdroid" (purchased) and both work great as stand-alone apps. The maps are open source maps and can be had for pretty much anywhere in the world.
Just like a real stand-alone GPSr the accuracy and speed of start up depends on a clear view of the sky, enough time to builds it's almanac of Sats and how far you are from the location you last accessed the app ( moving great distances between uses is almost the same as being turned on for the first time). The same can be said if too much time has gone by between use (such as months).
The Sat almanac gets built when your gpsr is turned on for the first time and is used as a predictive way identifying which Sats should be overhead at the current time you turn your GPSr on. Four or more Sataltites locked in gives you a higher degree of accuracy.
John
Greetings!
I am going to Turkey this Saturday with my school, and I am wondering if I am able to use my gps without huge costs?
My data will be disabled
Sent from my Galaxy Nexus using XDA
Last time checking...
GPS is free,
As for data ,
It really depends on the App you are using.
For example :
Google maps requires you to download the maps which would require data.
Try Maverick GPS app
Try Maverick, a GPS app without the need of data or wifi.
You can d/l the lite version for free off the market.
Wont give you a great navigation but it will do the job for free
Also try Navfree.
https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.navfree.android.OSM.ALL
Sent from my Desire HD using xda premium
You can pre-cache a 10milex10mile square in the google maps app but you'd have to know where you were going to go in advance to cache the areas but this can be done during a trip whenever you have wifi and know you're changing cities. No turn by turn or searching but at least you'd have a map you could plot your position on from the phone.
Well, most phones have A-gps, that stands for "assisted GPS": it is not the same as the common gps in Tom Tom devices and so on.
A-Gps has less power consumption, but a weaker receiver so, without the help of a data connection, it would turn to be quite useless, apart from the maps that should be loaded in advance.
GPS positioning data is always free..
You just need the right software to do turn by turn nav (Like Sygic or NavFree / etc)..
You can cache maps off of Google, but that won't give you turn by turn.
Sure GPS connection is free, but data run on 3g or 2g network to assist the GPS. May be it's not a big amount but, if you're travelling abroad, it won't be so cheap
I wonder if the main population will ever understand what a-gps are.
You can use iGO MyWay for android. Easy program and it dosn't connect to internet
Straight from Wikipedia. Now it'll be clear that a-gps needs data connection...
Standalone GPS provides first position in approximately 30-40 seconds. A Standalone GPS system needs orbital information of the satellites to calculate the current position. The data rate of the satellite signal is only 50 b/s, so downloading orbital information like ephemeris and almanac directly from satellites typically takes a long time, and if the satellite signals are lost during the acquisition of this information, it is discarded and the standalone system has to start from scratch. In AGPS, the Network Operator deploys an AGPS server. These AGPS servers download the orbital information from the satellite and store it in the database. An AGPS capable device can connect to these servers and download this information using Mobile Network radio bearers such as GSM, CDMA, WCDMA, LTE or even using other wireless radio bearers such as Wi-Fi. Usually the data rate of these bearers is high, hence downloading orbital information takes less time.
AGPS downloads very little data and it doesn't even require cell service. I have a non activated Android device and using GPS Status it will download AGPS data over wifi. This data is pretty small in size and you only need it to initially lock on satellites faster. Without AGPS data you'll just have to wait longer to get a lock.
For an offline GPS app, I use Sygic since it uses TomTom maps and I've owned a TomTom unit before. But there are other good ones out there.
Yes, there's no contraddiction between all that has been said by both of us. Not a huge data amount but if you are abroad and a roaming area it won't be cheap, because the data flows any time a fix is needed... Just think of tunnels and areas where the GPS signal is weak. I mean, the fix is not one only, it may be 20 or even 100 during an hour of navigation.
Hi guys, i just bought SGS3 in Australia. Everything is perfect and i notice that i can't find AGPS option in my setting ( i saw one picture online that with AGPS option). I reread what samsung said in SGS3 box, I can't find AGPS as well, but accidently, i find GLONASS/ How's ur devices, do they have AGPS or GLONASS?
hello,
On my, i have gps/glonass on writed on the box.
For an appli for AGPS , you can find it on the google play (like gps status).
For the glonass, i don't know if it's possible to connect on it.(i think it depend on the gps appli and maybe the country , only in Russia ?).
Bye
PS: After a little search, i found that the GPS and the GLONASS are active in same time .Now it seems you can find/use 55 active satellites instead of 31 with GPS alone and 24 with GLONASS alone
jasonlu1992 said:
Hi guys, i just bought SGS3 in Australia. Everything is perfect and i notice that i can't find AGPS option in my setting ( i saw one picture online that with AGPS option). I reread what samsung said in SGS3 box, I can't find AGPS as well, but accidently, i find GLONASS/ How's ur devices, do they have AGPS or GLONASS?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
AGPS = settings Location Services Use Wireless Networks .
Glonass its built in to the cpu .
jje
GPS (USA), Glonass (Russia) and the upcoming Galileo (EU) are different protocols provided by different satellites with different features.
But for everything you as a consumer and user care they are the same.
It's just that consumers are used to it being GPS so they call it that way even if it's incorrect.
If your boss,teacher,friend, ... tells you to google something he means to search on the net and (usually) does not actually enforce you to use the Google search.
In technical terms the app couldn't care less about what country and protocol provides the data, I don't think it even could see the difference (except when polling raw data)
It's very easy to check if Glonass works as expected; just fire up a GPS-Test app (e.g. 'GPS Test') and check the amount of satellites it uses.
GPS is designed with 24-30 satellites total in orbit and as such provides visibility to a mimumum of 4 and a maximum of 12 satellites in clear area.
Glonass has roughly the same amount. When holding my phone against the window I get a (more or less) immediate fix on 17 satellites which is impossible with only GPS.
AGPS is something totally different which regroups network-based GPS with satellite-based GPS, accelerometers and satellite trajectory prediction to allow you to get an approximate fix when it would otherwise not be possible (e.g. underground) and to accelerate the time-to-fix.
AGPS is a combination of gps + mobile network data. With the GS3 you get gps + glonas + mobile networks + wireless networks + sensors (I assume barometer + magnetometer) all working together. I get very good positioning even indoors.
Sent from my GT-I9300 using XDA
Glonass satellites are detected automatically. I'm in nz and now pick up 17 sats rather than the 12 on previous devices using GPS sats only. TIFF is also excellent, a matter of seconds only for a cold start.
Sent from my GT-I9300 using Tapatalk 2
d4fseeker said:
GPS (USA), Glonass (Russia) and the upcoming Galileo (EU) are different protocols provided by different satellites with different features.
But for everything you as a consumer and user care they are the same.
It's just that consumers are used to it being GPS so they call it that way even if it's incorrect.
If your boss,teacher,friend, ... tells you to google something he means to search on the net and (usually) does not actually enforce you to use the Google search.
In technical terms the app couldn't care less about what country and protocol provides the data, I don't think it even could see the difference (except when polling raw data)
It's very easy to check if Glonass works as expected; just fire up a GPS-Test app (e.g. 'GPS Test') and check the amount of satellites it uses.
GPS is designed with 24-30 satellites total in orbit and as such provides visibility to a mimumum of 4 and a maximum of 12 satellites in clear area.
Glonass has roughly the same amount. When holding my phone against the window I get a (more or less) immediate fix on 17 satellites which is impossible with only GPS.
AGPS is something totally different which regroups network-based GPS with satellite-based GPS, accelerometers and satellite trajectory prediction to allow you to get an approximate fix when it would otherwise not be possible (e.g. underground) and to accelerate the time-to-fix.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
thnx for your answer i just want to know if u guys have AGPS
jasonlu1992 said:
thnx for your answer i just want to know if u guys have AGPS
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Im pretty sure all S3s have aGPS (Assisted GPS).
Its not really designed as an accurate positioning system on its own - it was originally designed as a clever means to get faster GPS fix by using cell network and/or WiFi provided time and location.
It can also be used to provide less accurate location data to mobile apps (eg GMaps), without GPS.
Per a previous post if you have
System Settings->Location Services->Use Wireless Networks
checked, then you have enabled aGPS
Its a pretty standard thing on most smartphones these days.
subvertbeats said:
Im pretty sure all S3s have aGPS (Assisted GPS).
Its not really designed as an accurate positioning system on its own - it was originally designed as a clever means to get faster GPS fix by using cell network and/or WiFi provided time and location.
It can also be used to provide less accurate location data to mobile apps (eg GMaps), without GPS.
Per a previous post if you have
System Settings->Location Services->Use Wireless Networks
checked, then you have enabled aGPS
Its a pretty standard thing on most smartphones these days.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Thanks for your answering now i am sure my device have aGPS !
I haven't found the "one" best mock location fake gps app - but I found a few good ones that have ads.
But if I had to pick just one as the "best", I'd pick Lexa simply because it works without ads.
*Fake GPS Location* by LexaFree, no ads, requires gsf, rated 4.6, 456K reviews, 10M+ Downloads<https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.lexa.fakegps>
Note that these mock location apps are set inside the operating system, such that EVERY app gets their information from them, and that these mock location apps can randomly move along roadways by a given distance per a given time period, and they can start at the last location, and they can randomize the amount of movement per second, and they can spoof the altitude, and some can set a specific exact location by the keyboard instead of only graphically, etc. They can even send the location to another phone or get the location from another phone if you want that.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
But others (with ads) do a better job of random location following roadways with random movement time periods.
Others (with ads) can also shift the GPS location from one phone to another (either way) - but what use is that for you?
Also others (with ads) can spoof both the wi-fi provider & the GPS provider - but what use is that for you?
Which fake GPS mock location app do you feel is best and why?
GPS position falsification is currently not very effective when RIL is enabled on the phone. Apps can easily orient the phone in space based on the signal strength to the network operator's mast.
ze7zez said:
GPS position falsification is currently not very effective when RIL is enabled on the phone. Apps can easily orient the phone in space based on the signal strength to the network operator's mast.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
For privacy reasons... I have every setting for location accuracy turned off, and I also have every unused radio on the phone turned off (e.g., NFC, bluetooth, gps, wi-fi, etc.) and my phone's wi-fi does NOT reconnect (auto-connect is turned off) as my home AP SSID is hidden (for privacy, not for security!) and it has a "_nomap" appended to keep out of the well-behaved databases such as Google/Mozilla, but not Wigle/Netstumbler/Kismet,etc, which aren't well behaved, and I randomize the phone's Wi-Fi MAC upon every connection - which is a new feature of Android 12 in Developer options, etc., ....
... But I had to look up what RIL stands for, so I thank you for bringing up that unknown-to-me Radio Interface Layer detail...
RIL references:
https://wladimir-tm4pda.github.io/porting/telephony.html
https://source.android.com/devices/tech/connect/ril
Specifically
Radio Interface Layer: It is the bridge between Android phone framework services and the hardware. In other words, it is the protocol stack for Telephone. The RIL consist of two primary components.
RIL Daemon
Vendor RIL
RIL DaemonRILD will be initialized during the Android system start up. It will read the system property to find which library has to be used for Vendor RIL, provide the appropriate input for vendor RIL and finally calls RIL_Init function of Vendor RIL to map all the Vendor RIL functions to the upper layer. Each vendor RIL has RIL_Init function.Vendor RILIt is a library specific to each modem. In other words, we can call it as a driver to function the modem. The RIL daemon will call the RIL_Init function with the device location (eg: /dev/ttyS0). It will initiate the modem and returns theRIL_RadioFunctions structure contains the handles of radio functions
After skimming that RIL information, I'm not sure exactly what you're trying to tell me, but I guess you're saying that we can be geolocated when we make phone calls and even when we don't, in that the cell towers can be triangulated if the phone is in calling mode... which I understand full well.
But, in terms of privacy, how many apps that need to be fooled by their GPS location have access to that cell tower radio location information?
You understood correctly. A phone in call mode, as you wrote, can be easily located while moving.
The google map tricked out by "Fake GPS Location", does quite well while driving a car, as I recently verified in the field.
I don't analyze the app for route tracking.
ze7zez said:
You understood correctly. A phone in call mode, as you wrote, can be easily located while moving.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I agree with you that any phone, if it's going to be used for two (or three) things, will be easily tracked by those with the resources to do so
Make/receive phone calls
Send/receive sms/mms texts (mms requiring data)
Wi-Fi connections (aka "the Internet")
However, in all cases above, the geolocation isn't as accurate as with GPS (if you are judicious about your location settings), and, more to the point, the applications themselves don't have access to the cell tower information (although they do have access to your IP address, which can be roughly geolocated).
We have to assess our threat level where I'm not using fake location apps to hide from a well-funded TLA adversary; I'm using the fake location to simply hide from the likes of Google and other nefarious outfits that put the tracking APIs inside the code (which is why almost none of my apps require GSF).
ze7zez said:
The google map tricked out by "Fake GPS Location", does quite well while driving a car, as I recently verified in the field.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
If what you're saying is that the mock location apps "fool" the likes of Google Maps, I fully agree with you. If... If... if...
If you don't allow Google Maps to run a more detailed analysis that is.
As an example, I recently ran a test inside of a local town where I had the fake location set to miles away, and Google Maps was telling me I was where the fake location said I was... but...
But... then Google Maps asked me to snap a photo so that it could better figure out where I was, and BINGO! It figured out where I was based on the video that I allowed (for test purposes) to show the storefronts.
When I tested it again without allowing the video to see anything of value (e.g., I panned to the mountains above), Google Maps could NOT geolocate me.
Likewise when you don't let Google Maps geolocate by WI-Fi address (although for all I know the camera mechanism sneakily allowed that as I'm well aware there are TWO APIs for turning on your GPS radio, one of which (from Google) is downright nefarious)...
ACTION: "android.lintent.action.MAIN"
PACKAGE: "com.google.android.gms"
CLASS: "com.google.android.gms.location.settings.LocationAccuracyActivity"
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vs
Notice it's similar but different from the Android setting for accuracy.
ACTION: "android.intent.action.MAIN"
PACKAGE: "com.android.settings"
CLASS: "com.android.settings.Settings$ScanningSettingsActivity"
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Notice that, for this very reason, you NEVER want to turn on your GPS radio from ANY Google app prompt!
ze7zez said:
I don't analyze the app for route tracking.
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If you need to navigate and if you don't want to be tracked by Google, I found a little trick that works kind of nicely with the simple interfaces of the offline mapping programs.
Set your position as your destination in the mock location app
Use any offline map to set your current position as a waypoint
Then use the offline map app to route to your destination
Another "trick" that keeps you out of Google maps' databases is that you can easily get traffic using a web shortcut of the area you are currently traveling in - where you don't need to know your exact location in order to check out the traffic in front of you.
Yet another trick for traffic is that PLENTY of web sites provide Google traffic updates without logging into Google web servers (afaik), such as sigalert apps, 511 apps, and many local DOT apps such as caltrans (for California).
Overall, in summary, the mock location apps work to prevent apps that use your GPS location from tracking you - but as @ze7zez warned, it will only work for GPS and not for cell tower tracking.
GalaxyA325G said:
(...) the applications themselves don't have access to the cell tower information (...)
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This is not true.
Go into your phone's service mode and see for yourself what the phone knows about the mast connection.
Here's a cheesy Cell Diagnostic app that I wrote myself:
Note that the only permissions that it uses is android.permission.READ_PHONE_STATE and android.permission.ACCESS_COARSE_LOCATION
It refuses to give you this information if you have "Location" turned off.
ze7zez said:
This is not true.
Go into your phone's service mode and see for yourself what the phone knows about the mast connection.
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As always, you're correct... but.... you're being too narrow I think... in that debugging apps which we use when we need to are different from the run-of-the-mill apps we use all day every day...
There are only "some" apps, which I'm well aware of, that have your telephony information, such as this one which requires you to provide that permission first...
Once you manually provide that permission, yes, of course, the app has you dead in its sights... but most apps (that don't need it) don't ask for THAT much permission... (nor would you let them if they did).
Renate said:
Here's a cheesy Cell Diagnostic app that I wrote myself:
Note that the only permissions that it uses is android.permission.READ_PHONE_STATE and android.permission.ACCESS_COARSE_LOCATION
It refuses to give you this information if you have "Location" turned off.
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You bring up a good point that a few Android releases ago Google cheated like hell by forcing apps to request "Location" being turned on in order for the app to display unrelated things such as "Wi-Fi signal strength"...
Which is ANOTHER good reason for being able to set the mock location... because the Wi-Fi Signal Strength of all nearby access points has nothing (per se) to do with your current GPS location.
EDIT: BTW, as a related aside, I post a billion screenshots to the Internet, where some of them contain GPS location - which - if spoofed - means I don't need to redact it in those screenshots. For other information though, such as the cell tower information, I never know how much to redact (for privacy) where you didn't redact anything on your screenshot.
Can you let me know which are the cellular tower information pointers that we should redact for privacy when posting screenshots?
https://forum.xda-developers.com/attachments/cell1-png.5676683/
The CDMA system has a place for actual Lat/Long. But, these cells are set up by various people and the amount of information in them is variable.
I've rarely seen lat/long on a CDMA signal
The LTE stuff only references cell number. You need a database to reference it to location.
I have a few cell numbers hard-coded to named location.
I can't even find my current tower on https://www.opencellid.org/
Renate said:
The CDMA system has a place for actual Lat/Long. But, these cells are set up by various people and the amount of information in them is variable.
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I'm aware there are open signal public OSM cell-tower-location databases (which essentially suck - but which are good enough to track your general location) and then there are the "real" databases (which the carriers and the FCC kind of sort of keep to themselves.
Renate said:
I've rarely seen lat/long on a CDMA signal
The LTE stuff only references cell number. You need a database to reference it to location.
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The reason open signal public OSM databases only "essentially" suck is because they're averages from lots of people, so, for example, a tower might be on the wrong side of the railroad tracks or in the middle of a river on those open signal public OSM maps when it's not really the case - but they're still good enough to geolocate you to a general area were I to publish the unique number in the screenshots.
Renate said:
I have a few cell numbers hard-coded to named location.
I can't even find my current tower on https://www.opencellid.org/
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My tower is almost always my own femtocell or my cellular repeater (both of which I have but usually the femtocell wins out), which is unique to me (which is why I'm worried about privacy).
Unless you're in my driveway, only I would be using that femtocell (I don't know how far out they go, but it's not more than a few hundred feet at the most, isn't it?).
Hi, I'm a new member of the forum and this is my first post.
I've read this thread and it's an interesting discussion about layers in global positioning. But I have a simpler question out of curiosity;
is there perhaps a way to work around this plugin (https://github.com/wongpiwat/trust-location) without root / only with developer option, since I haven't found any fake gps app that could fool/bypass this part.
Or do I have to use a custom ROM to accomplish it?